John McCarthy advises Colby Covington against fighting Gilbert Burns.
Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) lost his second consecutive fight when he suffered a third-round doctor stoppage TKO to Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner earlier this month at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. McCarthy shuts down the narrative that Covington was rallying before the doctor intervened to stop the fight due to the nasty gash on his eyelid.
“There was a couple things in that fight, watching it,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing-In” podcast. “First off, Colby took an ass whooping. He absolutely showed he’s a tough human being, he’s a tough man, he doesn’t f*cking whine during the fight. He’s going after it, he’s trying, but you know, he was cut in multiple spots.
“He was cut across the brow, he was cut inside the actual start of the eyelid, which is what caused them (doctors) concern. Chael can say what he wants to. He wasn’t coming close to winning that fight. He wasn’t coming back. He was getting the sh*t beat out him. The fight was just going to continue on in the direction it was.”
Covington proceeded to call out Burns (22-8 MMA, 15-8 UFC) after the fight. Although Burns is also on a losing skid, McCarthy thinks it’s a bad matchup for Covington.
“You’ve got to be honest. There was a difference that has happened with Colby in that sometimes guys let their career slide by while they’re doing all the shucking, jiving, talking, and stuff, and it’s great, but you’re not fighting. And he hasn’t gotten better,” McCarthy said. “He has gotten worse. I’m just going to be as honest as I can. He has slowed down. He’s not as fast.
“His entries when he tries for a takedown are not as deep. He doesn’t get where he used to get. All of those things are going to work against him in anybody he fights. And if he fights Gilbert, does he want to take Gilbert down? It’s not an easy position to be. I’m not saying he can’t get away with possibly not getting submitted, but he is definitely putting himself into the crock pot because it’s hot. On the feet, Gilbert has more power, and I think he has more speed.”
